Pull strap for voting machine



y 967 R. F. SHOUP 3,318,518

PULL STRAP FOR VOTING MACHINE Filed May 24, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .I/VV NT E Pam/50M FJH w g yw May 9, 1967 R. F. SHOUP 3,318,518

PULL STRAP FOR VOTING MACHINE Filed May 24, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /IO [26 24\/ L 50 22 fie. 3

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J/Vl E/WOE United States Patent 3,318,518 PULL STRAP FOR VOTING MACHINE Ransom F. Shoup, Bryn Mawr, Pa., assignor to TheShoup Voting Machine Corporation, Bala-Cynwyd, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed May 24, 1966, Ser. No. 552,512 3 Claims. (Cl. 235-55) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to means for engaging a pull strap with, or disengaging it from, a voting spindle, without having to dismantle the voting spindle.

This invention relates to a voting machine of the type illustrated in Shoup et al. Patent Number 2,054,102.

As far as I am aware, voting machines heretofore known, include a plurality of columns of voting spindles which are rotatable by keys, a butterfly cam carried by each spindle, a pin carried by each butterfly cam in spaced relation to its axis of rotation, an interlock, and a pull strap permanently connected to a pin and engaging an interlock. This arrangement is exemplified in Shoup Patent Number 2,520,740, in which pull strap 61 is permanently secured to the voting spindle by wrapping the end of the pull strap around the pin 59b of thecorresponding butterfly and spot-welding, or otherwise securing it in place. If it is desired to remove a pull strap, as for example, when the voting machine is being set up for a particularly election, it is necessary to remove, or to disassemble, the entire voting spindle sub-assembly before the pull strap could be disconnected from the voting spindle.

The object of this invention is to produce an improved voting machine of the type set forth wherein the pull straps are easily connected to, and removed from, the spindle, without having to dismantle, or to disconnect any part of the spindle sub-assembly.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the following specification and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a voting spindle and pull strap, the parts being shown when the strap is connected to an interlock, not shown.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view looking in the direction of line 22 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2 but showing the pull strap after it has been disconnected from the interlock, and has been rotated to a position in which it can be readily detached from the butterfly cam of an associated spindle.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view looking in the direction of line 4-4 on FIG. 2, with the butterfly cam and the pull strap omitted.

A conventional voting spindle sub-assembly includes a square spindle 10 which is rotatable by a key 12, a square sleeve 14 carried by said spindle and a butterfly cam formed of arm 16 and wing 18, which are connected by pin 20 for joint rotation with the spindle. 22 designates a convention pull strap which, as shown in Patent Number 2,520,740, is permanently secured, at one end thereof, to pin 20. The other end of pull strap carries a wedge 23 which is detachably engageable with an interlock 48 such as that shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 of said patent, 2,520,740. The parts thus far referred to, form no part of the present invention, and have been described only by way of background to minimize the need for reference to prior patents.

To carry out the invention, I extendthe bottom wall 24 of sleeve 14 to form a projecting tab 26 and I notch said bottom wall to form recesses 28 on the opposite sides of tab 26, as clearly shown in FIG. 4. Also, I provide the end of the pull strap which engages the butterfly cam with a pair of spaced wings 30 which cut out to form arcuate recesses 32 for detachably engaging pin 20. The upper surfaces 34 of wings 30 are so proportioned and curved that they fit relatively snugly between the inner surface of pin 20 and the adjacent side 29 of spindle 10 which is exposed by the notching of sleeve 14 to form the recesses 28. It will be noted that this permits rotation of the pull strap about pin 20, and that tab 26 which, in this position, will be located between wings 30 will prevent longitudinal displacement of the pull strap relative to the voting spindle. It will also be noted that, when the parts are in the operative, or use, position of FIGS. 1 and 2, with the wedge 23 of the strap engaged in an interlock and with wings 32 engaging pin 20, can be moved relative to the interlock but cannot be detached from the pin.

To install a pull strap according to this invention, the pull strap is rotated towards the position of FIG. 3 until recesses 32 align with, and are ready to receive pin 20. After the pull strap is easily engaged with pin 20, it is rotated to the position of FIGS. 1 and 2, the end 23 at the other end of the pull strap is inserted into the interlock which, during the preparation of the voting machine for use is open to receive the wedges of the pull straps assigned to the particular interlock.

To disengage a pull strap from the voting spindle, its wedge-shaped end 23 is disengaged from the interlock and the pull strap is rotated toward the position shown in FIG. 3 until edges 34 of wings 30 clear the surface 29 of spindle 10, whereupon the pull strap is easily disengaged from pin 20.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided an improved construction whereby the pull straps of a voting machine may be mounted or dismounted, as a unit, by merely releasing their wedge-shaped ends from the interlock, which are ordinarily taken apart and put together in preparation for use in various elections, but without dismantling the voting spindle, or the butterfly assemblies. In addition to being easier to assemble and dismantle, pull straps embodying this invention are also less expensive to make.

What I claim is:

1. In a voting machine, the combination of an interlock,

a voting spindle,

a butterfly cam fixedly carried by said spindle and including a pin disposed parallel to said spindle, and

a pull strap for connecting said spindle to said interlock, said pull strap having one end thereof engageable with said interlock and having a notch in its other end, said notch being in a plane substantially normal to the axis of said pin and engageable with, and disengageable from, said pin by rotation of said strap about an axis parallel to the axis of said pin and without dismantling said pin.

2. In a voting machine,

the combination of an interlock,

a voting spindle,

a butterfly cam fixedly carried by said spindle and including a pin spaced from and parallel to said spindle,

a tab carried by said spindle and projecting toward said a pull strap for connecting said voting spindle to said interlock,

'a wedge on one end of said strap for engaging said interlock, and

a yoke on the other end adapted to straddle said tab and having notches for rotatably engaging said pin.

3. In a voting machine, the combination of:

an interlock,

a voting spindle,

a sleeve carried by said spindle,

a butterfly cam fixedly carried by said sleeve and including a pin spaced from, and parallel to, said spindle,

a tab carried by said sleeve and projecting toward said pin, there being recesses formed in said sleeve on opposite sides of said tab, and

a pull strap for connecting said voting spindle to said interlock,

a wedge on a first end thereof for engaging said interlock, and

a pair of spaced wings on the second end thereof adapted to straddle said tab,

each of said wings having a notch formed in one edge 4 thereof for detachably engaging said pin and the op- .positeedges of each of said wings being generally rounded for movement in said recesses,

said wings having only rotary movement relative to said pin and to said recesses when the first end of the pull strap is engaged in said interlock and being wholly detachable from said pin when said first end is disengaged from said interlock.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATE PATENTS 8/1950 Shoup 23555 3/1959 Shoup 235-55 

1. IN A VOTING MACHINE, THE COMBINATION OF AN INTERLOCK, A VOTING SPINDLE, A BUTTERFLY CAM FIXEDLY CARRIED BY SAID SPINDLE AND INCLUDING A PIN DISPOSED PARALLEL TO SAID SPINDLE, AND A PULL STRAP FOR CONNECTING SAID SPINDLE TO SAID INTERLOCK, SAID PULL STRAP HAVING ONE END THEREOF ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID INTERLOCK AND HAVING A NOTCH IN ITS OTHER END, SAID NOTCH BEING IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE AXIS OF SAID PIN AND ENGAGEABLE WITH, AND DISENGAGEABLE FROM, SAID PIN BY ROTATION OF SAID STRAP ABOUT AN AXIS PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID PIN AND WITHOUT DISMANTLING SAID PIN. 